Box scorer



Feb. 2K, 196'? H. H. SHAWHAN 3,304,613

BOX SCORER Filed March 25. 1,965

INVENTOK HARRY H. .5174 WHAN United States Patent 3,304,613 BOX SCORER HarryHrShaWhan, 1751 Filbert St., Paso Robles, Calif. 93446 Filed Mar. 25, 1965, Sen-No. 442,579 4 (Ilaims. (Cl. 33-.-42)

This invention relates to a box scorer.

In packaging operations, it is common practice to purchase boxes in stock sizes and then select the smallest standard size which can hold a specific object. The ,remaining space is filled with packing material. The use of more than a bare minimum'of packing material. is an admission that too much bulk is being taken up by the box. To ship bulk often adds to the shipping cost, because many shipping costs are determined at least in part by the overall dimensions of the package. Accordingly, in shipping departments, it is not uncommon to try to cut down the height of a box to the minimum necessary to contain the article. The problem with cutting down the boxes in this manner is that there has not been any means to do it quickly and expediently, and accordingly the cost of labor involved has often been so large that it was better simply to fill up the box with packing materials, and pay the extra costs of shipping.

It is on object of this invention to provide a box scorer which can simply be run around the edge of a box to forma score at which the box can be folded over readily. It can even make a deep enough score, if desired, as to enable the box to be parted at this scoreline.

A box scorer according to this invention is adapted to impress a score on a box at a predetermined spacing from an edge thereof. It comprises an elongated rail which has a bend and a flange on it. A handle is provided on the flange, and this handle is spaced from and extends generally parallel to the rail. A scoring wheel is journaled to the flange and has its periphery extending beyond the rail so as to be able to contact a box against which the rail might be resting. The handle is attached to the rail adjacent to the scoring wheel, and extends toward a spacer which is slid-ably mounted to the rail and carries adjustment means which are adapted to hold the spacer at selected locations along the rail.

According to a preferred but optional feature of the invention, the spacer includes a body on one side of the rail, and a bight attached to the body and encircling the rail. The adjustment means comprises a pivoted bar disposed on the opposite side of the body from the scoring wheel, whereby engagement of the bar against the rail holds the spacer in its adjusted position.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a right-hand view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a portion of the invention taken at line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section taken at line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 1, the upper edge of a box is shown being operated on by a box scorer 11 according to the invention. This device includes an elongated rail 12 which preferably has a rectangular cross-section of uniform dimensions throughout its length, and carries a bend 13 at its lower end. Continuous with the bend, there is formed a flange 14 which extends at right angles from the rail.

A handle 15 is attached to the flange so that it extends generally parallel to and is spaced from the rail.

3,304,613 Patented Feb. 21, 1967 it'is not a particularly sharp knife edge in the sense that itis intended to cut the material, because it may be desired only to indent the material somewhat so as to prepare the material for a good fold. However, different forms. of peripheries, both as to sharpness and as to gen- .eral configuration, may be provided. For example, perforating wheels could be used instead of Wheels with continuous circular edges.

Mounted to the rail, there is a spacer 20 which includes a body 21, preferably U-shaped (see FIG. 4). The body includes a bight 22 which encircles the rail and thereby enables the device to be slid up and down along the rail.

Adjustment means 25 is provided for the purpose of holding the spacer at a selected elevation along the rail. The presently preferred embodiment of the adjustment is shown in the drawings and comprises a pivoted bar 26 which is mounted to the body by a pivot 27. The pivoted bar extends from both sides of the pivot, and the righthand end 28 in FIG. 1 is adapted to bear firmly against the rail. When it does so, it pulls the bight against the opposite side of the rail and effectively clamps the spacer in place. Its locking action is augmented by a spring 29 which is opposed between dimples 30 in the body and in the pivoted bar on the opposite side of the pivot from the scoring wheel. In fact, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, spring 29 will exert sufficient force to lock the device. Then, when the user bears down. on the pivoted bar to the right of the pivot in FIG. 1, the bar is pressed even more firmly against the rail, thereby rendering the adjustment more reliable. To release this engagement, one need only press together the body and the pivoted bar to the left of the pivot in FIG. 1, which will pivot the bar away from the rail and permit the spacer to be moved up and down.

It will be noted that this spacer does not rely on screw threads or other means which might cause galling of the rail. The pivoted bar makes a firm, relatively large area, engagement with the rail, an effect which might, if desired, be augmented by the addition of friction type material to either the pivoted bar or to the rail. However, this is not considered necessary, nor need recourse be had to ratchet means and the like, because the lock shown is at once simple, expedient and very reliable.

The use of the device should be evident from FIGS. 1 and 2. As soon as the spacer is placed at the desired elevation relative to the scoring wheel, the spacer is rested atop the edge of the box and then, while the user grasps the handle pulling the rail down and pushing the scoring Wheel against the box, the device is drawn along the upper edge so as to leave a score where the wheel has traveled. The score will be even and straight, especially because the weight of the users hand will be exerted at the bottom of the rail and will thereby provide a downward pendular pull which tends to keep the rail nicely vertically aligned.

The term box is used throughout the specification to indicate a body having a wall which is to be scored. However, this is not a limitation on the generality of the invention. This scorer is useful wherever a score is desired to be formed a specific distance from the edge of any surface, which might, for example, be a flat sheet.

This invention is not limited by the embodiment shown in the drawings and described in the description which is given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A box scorer adapted to impress a score on a box at a predetermined spacing from an edge thereof, comprising: an elongated rail; a bend in said rail; a flange joined to the rail by said bend; a handle mounted to said flange, which handle is spaced from and generally parallel to the rail; a scoring wheel journaled to the flange on the opposite side thereof from the handle, said wheel having a portion of the periphery of the wheel projecting beyond the rail; a spacer slida'bly mounted to said rail; and adjustment means carried by the spacer adapted to hold the spacer at selected locations along the rail.

2. A box scorer according to claim 1 in which the spacer includes a body on one side of the rail, and a bight attached to the body and encircling the rail, and in which the adjustment means comprises a pivoted bar disposed on the opposite side of the rail from the scoring wheel, whereby engagement of the bar and the box forces the bar against the rail to hold the spacer in its adjusted position.

3. A box scorer according to claim 2 in which a spring loads the pivoted bar toward its position of engagement with the rail.

4. A box scorer according to claim 3 in which the pivoted bar extends on both sides of a pivot which mounts it to the body, whereby pressing of'the pivoted bar on the opposite side of the pivot from the rail releases the engagement of the pivoted bar with the rail.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 907,612 12/1908 Krehlik 33-42 X 1,881,587 10/1932 Hopkins et al. 33-42 2,679,104 5/1954 Whitton 3342 3,191,295 6/1965 Falk 33--42 X LEONARD FORMAN, Primary Examiner.

W. D. MARTIN, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BOX SCORER ADAPTED TO IMPRESS A SCORE ON A BOX AT A PREDETERMINED SPACING FROM AN EDGE THEREOF, COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED RAIL; A BEND IN SAID RAIL; A FLANGE JOINED TO THE RAIL BY SAID BEND; A HANDLE MOUNTED TO SAID FLANGE, WHICH HANDLE IS SPACED FROM AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE RAIL; A SCORING WHEEL JOURNALED TO THE FLANGE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE THEREOF FROM THE HANDLE, SAID WHEEL HAVING A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY OF THE WHEEL PROJECTING BEYOND THE RAIL; A SPACER SLIDABLY MOUNTED TO SAID RAIL; AND ADJUSTMENT MEANS CARRIED BY THE SPACER ADAPTED TO HOLD THE SPACER AT SELECTED LOCATIONS ALONG THE RAIL. 